Internal-combustion engine



1.1. RMS'EY. y INTERNAL COMBUSIION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 221 I92I Patented Sept. 12, 1.922.

INV NTOR ATTO RN EY WITNESS:

JOEE' 'l'. .t

naar, or manana,

ENTE ALCOMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application led March 22, 1921. Serial No. 454,477.

To all whom it imag concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. Ruwer, acitizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following'ls a i specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and has for an object the provision of means for adjusting the s1ze of the compression chamber, or compression space within the engine cylinder so as to regulate its size in accordance with the amount of fuel fed to the engine and work performed.

ln the operation of internal combustion engines, when the load is increased, as in en automobile ascending a grade, 1n order to supply increased power, the fuel supply is increased. This increased amount of fuel results in'increased compression of the gases where the size of the compression space 1s not increased and when -this increased compression reaches a certain point, preignitlon occurs. When the engine operates under these conditions, loss of power and an ob- 'ectionable knocking of the engine occurs.

y the provision of means for regulating the size of the compression cham. er, the latter may be adjusted to correspond to the amount of fuel supplied, so that a maxlmum percentage of power may be obtained from each charge of fuel. Another object of the invention is the provision of means for accomplishing the above, which is exceedingly simple in construction and o eration and which will not interfere with tlie further control of the engine through the use of the usual spark control, or throttle.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention vfurther includes the following novel features and details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view through an engine cylinder illustrating one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view on the line 3-3 of Fi ure 1.

Re erring to the drawings in detail,

port or correspondin parts, the reference c aracter 10 indicates t e cylinder of an inter al combustion engine which may be of the usual or any preferred construction and which 'is equip ed with a water jacket 11, by means of which the engine is cooled in the usual well known manner.

In the type of engine illustrated, there is provided a valve pocket 12 which is located at `one side of the Venginecylinder and communicates with the latter through a port or ports 13, only one of said ports being shown, which may be either the intake or exhaust port or both. This port is controlled by a valve 14 operated in any preferred manner and the charge is fired by means of an ignition device 15 which extends within the valve pocket 12.

wherein like characters of referenc: denote Located within the cylinder 10 is a sleeve 1 6, the latter communicating with the valve pocket 12 through a port or orts ="17, communication being establishe through the Orts 13 as will be readily understood. he sleeve 16 carries"a cylinder head 18, over which the water of the cooling s stem circulates, as will be apparent from igure 1 of the drawings. The sleeve 16 is movable longitudinally withinv the cylinder 10 and packing rings or other suitable packing 19 is arranged upon opposite sides of thevports 13 and 17 to prevent leakage.

Uperating within the sleeve 16 is a piston 20 which is connected in the usual or any preferred manner with the engine crank shaft (not shown). The piston 20 is also surrounded by packing rings 21. The space between the inner end of the piston vand the cylinder head 18 thus forms a compression chamber 22, within which the charge is compressed and the purpose of moving 'the sleeve 16 longitudinally within the cylinder 10 is to increase or decrease the space between the head 18 and the adjacent end of the piston when the latter reaches the limit of its inward strokeand thus regulate the size of the compression chamber in accordance with the amount of fuel fed to the engine, so that a maximum of power from a given amount of fuel is obtained. For this purpose the lower end ofthe sleeve is surrounded with a number of high pitch threads 22a which are engaged by a threaded ring 23. This ring 1s swiveled within the cylinder 10 between a shoulder or abutment 24 and a removable ring 25, the latter ating means In order to Aprevent the sleeve from rotating when the ring 23 is rotated, the said sleeve isprovided With a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves 30 which in` tersect the threads 22 and which receive splines or projections 31 which extend inwardly from the ring 25. The sleeve is thus permitted longitudinal movement but is held against rotation.

`When it is desired to increase or decrease the size of the compression vchamber 22 the Worm 27 is rotated vto rotate'the ring 23 and as the sleeve isheid against rotary movement, it will be moved longitudinally so as to move the head 18 towardpor away from the adjacent end of the ist'n 20 as desired. rlhe size of the port l? is such that it is always in communication with the port 13; while the engagement of the Worm 27 with the gear teeth 26 Will prevent any tendency of the sleeve to move under the force of the ex losion.

he invention is susceptible of various changes inits form, proportions and minor details ofconstruction and the right is linearen herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the inventionpwhat is claimed is 1. lin an internal combustion engine, a sleeve located within the engine cylinder and having a head in one end, a piston operating v vithin the sleeve and means including a rlng swiveled Within the engine cylinder and engageable with the sleeve for adjusting the said sleeve within the engine cylinder to regulate the distance of the head from the adjacent end of the piston and a combined ring retainer and sleeve guide for holding the sleeve against rotation.

2. lln an internal combustion engine, a sleeve located Within. the engine cylinder and having a head in one end, a piston operating vvithin the sleeve, means including a rin swiveled Within the engine cylinder an engageable with the sleeve for adjusting the latter Within the engine cylinder to regulate the distance of the head from the adjacent end of the piston, a retaining ring located Within the cylinder for holdingl the swiveled ring in position and .keys carried by the retainlng rlng and slidable in ooves formed longitudinally of the sleeve or preventing rotation of the latter.

ln testimony whereof ll afiix my signature. f

JUHN T. RAMSEY. 

